USA Gets Their Man?

Iraq's new prime minister-to-be, Iyad Allawi, is a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, who has worked with the CIA for many years.

After all the talk of a UN-appointed leader, Mr Allawi's was ultimately chosen by the 25 US appointees on Iraq's Governing Council.

According to ABC News, "the United Nations was caught off guard when the Governing Council announced Mr Allawi had been chosen, but says it respects the decision.

'It's not how we expected it to happen,' chief UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said."

So what's the story? What deal did UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi make with the IGC? There is a lot of horse-trading going on at the UN at the moment and - as usual in politics - the outcome will probably be a less-than-ideal compromise.